Whatever doesn't kill you
by CrossbowPower
Summary: When all your life seems like a never-ending nightmare, maybe the only option left is to just wake up. Daryl and Carol AU story.
1. Carry that weight

I just came back from a working trip and even though I have a couple of FF to update, I wanted to start writing this. I want to thank Starbuck777 for giving me this idea. Even though I love reading non-AU stories, this one is an AU, like most of my FF, just because I feel more comfortable writing Carol and Daryl in AU territory. I try to keep them In Character as much as I can though. I have some things planned out for this one but I'm not 100% sure where is it going yet. All I know is Carol's relationship with Ed will play a big part in this one, so it might turn a little dark at times. I hope you like the first one anyway and reviews are always nice and encouraging! :)

Have the best of weekends!

S.-

* * *

Daryl let out a deep breath. Fewer things he hated more than going to the grocery store, or any store for that matter, and watch people walk away from him and give him odd looks. Apparently in this fucking city no one had to get his hands dirty for a living and they seemed to think guys like him were only allowed to spend their time working on their roofs. Otherwise, it was better to think they didn't exist.

He shrugged and shoved his dirty hands in his pockets, figuring he'd at least make it quick. He thought about getting the hell out of the place and just ordering a pizza, but the truth was it wasn't only food he was needing. That he could provide himself, but his… house, if it could ever be called that, was screaming for him to clean it and he couldn't recall the last time he'd threw bleach or some shit like that in the bathroom. He couldn't say he gave a fuck, because he'd be lying. He couldn't say it didn't feel nice walking inside a clean, tidy house that smelt like flowers and all that shit, like most houses he worked in were like, but sometimes he just found no reason to do it, not when all that shit hole was was a place to lay down and get a few hours of sleep whenever he got back from work or from a hunting trip, or from the local bar; whenever he chose not to just grab the tent and sleep in the woods, which felt much nicer than his own place if he had to be honest.

So there he was standing in front of zillions of different cleaning products, each one with a specific label that made the task of grabbing the first one he ran into much more complicated. He sighed, his eyes travelling along the shelves in search for an universal one or something, and then he felt something hit him on one side. He was ready to curse and tell whoever decided to attack him with the shopping cart to fuck off, when he turned around and saw a tiny woman, who looked even smaller behind all the food and stuff that filled her cart.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't looking", the woman mumbled, her cheeks instantly turning red. Daryl looked at her up and down, pretty sure he had never seen the woman before, something about the way she was dressing making him curious. She looked almost like she belonged to a different time, with some sort of gray old lady skirt that went past below her knees, and a loose long sleeved light blue blouse. Her face features, though, were soft and delicate, and showed she couldn't be older than 40. He shook his head, attempting to stop staring, and fixed his eyes on her bright blue for a second.

"'s alrite", he growled, focusing back on the cleaning products in front of him. He saw her mirror him out of the corner of his eye, the sudden company making him uncomfortable.

"There's so many of them. And they claim to be all different when they all do the same", he heard her comment in a tired voice, probably more to herself than to him. Her words, though, made him chuckle, and if he'd been any more chatty he'd probably said he agreed, but he grabbed one instead, without even looking what the hell it was, and kept on walking down the cleaning corridor. He turned around, though, to give one last look to the strange woman who was still standing there, her hand on her chin, probably thinking about which product to take. She suddenly turned her head and gave him some sort of small smile. He frowned. This was probably part of the normal interaction in the supermarket, because people, everyone but him, always seemed to need to fill silence with random conversation. Well, at least she hadn't started to walk faster or given him some creepy look like other people did. That must have been what caught his attention to begin with.

Once he decided he'd spent enough time in the supermarket, even though he'd barely gotten everything he needed, he quickly walked to the cash register. They were all pretty full for a Sunday morning and he cursed and headed to the emptier one. Right before he got there, he saw the same woman who'd been talking to him position herself right ahead. Fuck his life. He couldn't believe it. She'd bought so many things it'd have been smart to use two carts, and now he'd have to wait forever to get the hell out of there. Surprisingly, she turned her head to look at him.

"Go ahead, I've got plenty of things", she told him, motioning with her hands for him to walk past her.

He watched her for a second, considering her offer, but for some reason he shook his head.

"'s alrite. Got no hurry", he murmured, and she gave him a confused look.

"You sure?" she insisted.

He just nodded and brought his thumb to his mouth, lifting his eyes to reassure her it was alright.

She was almost finished when he saw her bring her hands to her head.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry..", she said suddenly,

"Excuse me?" the cashier said.

"I just.. I forgot to pick something up, something very important… I'm so sorry, I can't believe I just forgot. Do you mind? It won't take me more than 10 seconds, I promise", she explained, her eyes drifting from the woman to Daryl.

"No big deal. Jus' huh, jus' go ahead", Daryl told her. He saw the young woman in the cash register laugh a little and give him a conspirational look, which he ignored. Maybe it'd have bothered him coming from anyone else, from fuckers who thought they could just make him wait because he was a damn redneck… but this woman, she seemed oblivious to his appearence, to his last name, and it made him feel strangely comfortable, like if they knew each other, although, once more, he was positive he'd never seen her before.

And when she finally got back, which actually didn't take her long, Daryl had to supress a laugh at the sight. Her arms were wrapped around two 12- packs of canned beer like her life depended on it. She certainly didn't look much like a drinker, but who was he to judge, he thought as he lifted his brows at her questioningly, but she just smiled nervously and started to pack her things.

5 minutes later he was inside his truck and ready to get the hell out of town straight to his place, which was far away and pretty near the woods, probably the only good thing about it. He started his truck and drove in a particularly good mood, thinking of the roasted chicken he was going to cook as soon as he got there. He drove a few blocks, his eyes covered by his sun glasses to avoid the summer Georgia sun, when something caught his attention. Something that had been catching his attention the whole damn morning actually.

"ya gotta be fuckin' kiddin' me", he said to himself as he slowed down, his eyes fixed on the small woman walking on the sidewalk, all her efforts apparently focused on carrying those 6 huge bags along, something Daryl was sure she wouldn't succeed in. He saw her drop half the bags to the floor with a frustrated expression, and he just couldn't help it.

"Ya ok over there?" he yelled from the truck, leaning his body over the window.

She jumped a little at the sudden sound, and turned her body to look at him.

"I'm fine", was all she said, benting down to pick up the bags.

He chuckled and stopped the car. Unless she lived right at the end of the street, there was no way she could be fine. Hell, he probably couldn't have carried those bags himself.

"Ain't look like it. Why dontcha jus' take a cab?" he asked her, lifting his sunglasses up.

"got no money for a cab", she told him, her arms tangling in a nest to keep the bags from falling again, which covered half her face so he could barely see her.

"Ya tellin' me ya bought all kind of shit back there yet ya ain't got money for a cab?" he asked curiously, his lips curling in a little smirk.

"Yes", she said simply.

"C'mon", he said, gesturing with his head for her to walk over. "I can give ya a ride, where ya live?"

"I said I'm fine!" she yelled back, and started to walk a few steps.

Daryl sighed. He didn't know much about this woman, but he could already say she was stubborn as hell. And he didn't know what drove him to help her either, probably just the sight of her having trouble and urge to take those things to wherever she was heading. Either way he got outside the track and walked to her.

"Jus' lemme help ya", he said, his voice coming out softly.

Her blue eyes narrowed as she stared at him, but she finally nodded and handed him one of the bags.

"It's fine, realy. I appreciate it though", she said once more, a soft smile playing on her lips as her eyes flicked all over his face.

They silently got inside the car, and Daryl was surprised by the fact she wasn't talking at all. Usually that was his role, being the silent one whoever he happened to be with.

"Ya never said where ya goin'.. kinda need ta know", he said after having driven for two minutes straight down the town's main road.

"Doesn't matter. Wherever you can leave me is closer than I was", she told him, and he snorted loudly.

"Ya makin' no damn sense ya know? I could turn right or left.. hell I could drive this road fer an hour or jus'take tha highway… how can any road lead ya closer? Ya got nowhere ta go?" he asked, amused, thinking this woman was by far the hardest person to figure out he'd ever met.

"About a mile down this road. You just leave me there. I'm going less than two blocks far from there", she commented, her voice calm and kind of absent.

"Well, alrite", he said, defeated, his fingers tapping the steering wheel a little impatiently.

"What's your name?" she asked all of a sudden, turning her head to look at him for the first time ever since they'd gotten inside the truck.

"Daryl".

"Daryl…", she repeated, staring at him. "I'm Carol".

"So ya throwin' a beer party today? Ya acted like it was a damn life or death issue, forgettin' yer beer cans", he said, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. He wasn't one to ask so many questions but this woman was really bringing his curiosity up, and he felt the need to ask or say anything that might lead him to figure out more things about her.

"Believe me. It is.", she stated, her voice turning slightly somber. He turned his head and gave him a confused look.

"I'm walking from here", she added, and he just stopped the car, deciding he wouldn't push the conversation or insist any further. He looked around and spotted a dirt road that seemed to lead to a neighborhood, probably where she lived. It occured to him then it made sense she didn't want him to drive him straight to her house. She didn't know him, after all.

"Ya sure ya gonna be alrite?" he couldn't help but ask her. And he wasn't just asking about her carrying all those bags on her own. He felt there was something else. Maybe it was her eyes. Maybe they were kind of sad.

"Thank you, Daryl" she said, avoiding his question but smiling at him reassuringly, as if she could sense somehow his unspoken impressions about her. She opened the door, taking a minute to grab all her bags, and gave him one last look before closing it behind her quickly.

She stood next to the road and waved at him, and he got the feeling she didn't want him to watch the direction she was going. He started the car, scratching his chin as he drove, unable to stop thinking about this woman and their weird encounter.


	2. The devil beside you

As usual the first chapters come quickly. Hope you like it, tell me what you think! There are some things that will make more sense in the coming chapters, but I hope the insights are good.

Also, I want to warn you about physical and verbal violence in this chapter and probably in some of the coming chapters too, just in case you don't feel comfortable reading.

hugs!

* * *

Carol let out an exhausted breath and dropped the bags to the floor to search for the front door key. She got inside slowly, glad of not seeing the car parked in their frontyard yet. Ed hadn't slept there the night before. He'd left a message earlier in the morning claiming he was stuck at the office, something she knew wasn't true but she couldn't care less anyway. All she was worried about when it came to that was getting some disease. Other than that, those were her favourite days, and they'd became more frequent lately, something she prayed kept happening that way. She hummed as she cleaned the kitchen, her mind going back to the grocery store and the man she'd met there. She'd learnt, sometime ago, to hold to the little things. It was the only way of bearing it all, paying attention to the beautiful little details that if you were observant enough were actually all around, but which went unperceived by normal people, people who were busy living their own lifes, as good or bad as they might be. She tried to make sure each one of her days, which were usually filled with the same horrible things she simply couldn't get rid of, had some nice little thing she took to bed. It was her way of finding the strenght to want to wake up the next morning. And today, it had came pretty early in the morning in the form of a very attractive, rough around the edges guy. She'd never seen him before, which didn't mean anything since she barely went out and when she did, it was strictly to hit the grocery store or the local shopping center if she was lucky and Ed was in need of some clothes. It was all she did unless Ed went for a few days bussiness trip.

She'd spotted him as soon as she got inside the supermarket and even though she hadn't gotten his face, those lean muscular arms his sleeveless shirt were showing caught her attention right away. And surprisingly she'd literally bumped into him a few minutes later and her mouth almost dropped open at the sight of his face. Liquid blue eyes staring questioningly at her, softening a little when she apologized, his features so gorgeous she felt a weird tingle on her stomach. That'd have been enough for her good memory of the day, only this time, it hadn't ended there but she'd kept running into him and he'd even offered to give her a ride. He'd seemed shy and a little awkward but there'd also been kidness in his silence, in his hesitant questions about this or that, his southern drawl making him even more attractive, and she'd had to swallow hard when she'd heard his last question. Was she going to be alright. That was something she always asked to herself. She didn't know the answer. Not yet anyway.

She fantasized with other men sometimes, in some sort of harmless game she played to get her mind away from her reality. And the only thing in common the men in her imagination and real life shared was they were all better than Ed, and even the worst scenario was better than her own. Because it wasn't about her deserving better. It was simply about no one deserving the life she was stuck in. She used to go out, whenever Ed wouldn't be in town for a couple of days, but no one really took the time to pay attention to her. She understood. She used to be a beautiful woman once, not the typical breath taking model or anything like that but she used to consider herself quite pretty with her curly dark hair, those bright blue eyes people always complimented and her thin frame which curved in all the right places. That is, before Ed, and stress, which were pretty much the same thing, made sure to take all of those things away. Each and every one of her good qualities. She used to be friendly and out-going, she used to love to laugh and now she simply didn't have the energy nor the reasons. All she was now was a ruined version of her old self. But this morning, when she'd met Daryl, like he'd said his name was, there had been that one element from her fantasies: he'd taken the time to take a second look, watch her deeply, and at some point she saw that concern in his eyes, that realization that something was wrong about her. It was pointless anyway, thinking about it, but it'd been nice, feeling someone cared about her, even if it'd just been for a few seconds.

"Where the fuck were you when I called, huh?" He said as soon as he opened the door, walking to her and roughly turning her around so that she faced him.

"It was 7 am when you called. I was.. I was sleeping", she answered, dropping her eyes to the floor.

"You sleep so much your ass keeps getting huge", he barked, searching through the shopping bags. "ya bought everything? People coming in 2 hours for lunch. You bring us the food and find yourself another place to eat, you hear me?! Don't you dare joining us"

"Yes Ed", she said, getting the meat out and putting it on a dish to prepare it.

"Where's the fucking ticket?" he growled, searching in her purse.

"Here. And here's the change", she said, searching inside her pocket.

"You fucking bitch, you was trying to hide it from me?!" he approached her and grabbed her arm, his nails digging in her skin. She swallowed hard. It'd been four days without any beatings and she'd been praying it kept that way. It seemed she wouldn't be that lucky.

"No, Ed.. no, I just put it in my pocket. I was going to give it to you", she said, her voice filling with that fear she despised.

He eyed her up and down, his eyes narrowed and the grip on her arm tightening so much it was starting to make her eyes watery. A few seconds later, though, he let go.

"Useless bitch", he muttered, heading to the stairs. "I'm wearing the blue shirt. Iron it, and it better be perfect or I'm fucking ironing your arm", he yelled.

"Yes, Ed", she yelled back, her hand going to cover the little wound he'd left on her arm.

She'd gotten used to this strange lunchs or dinners they had at their house sometimes. Ed claimed they were bussiness reunions but one look at half the guests and you could tell there was something else going on there. And it wasn't just becuase of those meetings. There was simply no way a sells man like Ed could have gotten so much money overnight, which allowed them to move one year ago from their simple one story house to this sort of mansion they now lived in. And Ed's clothes… she knew how expensive they were because she bought them herself, and all the furniture and the home theater, and his three cars… all those things that made people tell her how lucky she was to be married to a man like Ed. There'd been a couple of calls she'd answered herself too, a man's dark voice threatening to kill him, and she'd never told him nor dared to ask, wishing, deep inside, someone actually did it, but it'd also made her realize how dangerous the man she was married to was, and it'd made her just drop the idea of escaping some day. At least for the moment. But she was always preparing herself to do it, in all sorts of ways. It wasn't easy, not with him controlling every movement she made, but she managed to do some things that at least kept her hopes up. Drug dealing or gambling stuff, she suspected, because she knew he was a gambler himself, and the hidden drawer he probably thought she didn't know about kept filling with guns that scared the hell out of her. She knew he was capable of killing her, but if she had to be honest, the beatings scared her more than that. If he did kill her, at least it'd be over somehow, although she didn't want to die. Not under his hands. There was one important thing on her behalf: she wasn't dumb, not like Ed claimed she was. She was actually much smarter than he'd ever be, and she was aware of a lot of things she was sure he had no idea she actually did. She knew people would think she was an idiot for staying next to an evil man like him, but exactly because she wasn't, it was that she couldn't leave. Not yet. Not when he'd definitely find her and probably kill her right away. The day she did leave him, it was going to be for good. That day, she'd make sure he got what he deserved.

"Those smashed potatoes tasted like fuckin' baby food, you bitch! That was an important lunch back there, you fucking ruined it!" he yelled, walking inside the guests room were she'd been locked all day watching TV and sewing some of Ed's clothes.

She instinctively slided further into the bed, her eyes going wide at the knowledge of what was coming.

"I'm sorry Ed.. I did my best. I.. I thought it was good", she mumbled, watching him walk to her.

"Dog food, that's what you fucking fave us", he added, staring at her before his hand raised and slapped her face, the pain making her eyes close instantly.

"Look at me, bitch, or I'm going to drag your ass to the kitchen myself so that you clean all the mess you left there", he commanded, and she opened her eyes, swallowing hard to stop the tears for coming, which she knew only made it worse. She hadn't left no mess, but it was useless to tell him. She could smell the alcohol emanating from his body and she knew the best she could do was do as he said so that she stayed away from him for a while until he fell asleep like he usually did whenever he drunk that much.

She walked downstairs, letting the tears come now. If there existed any kind of crying award, she'd probably win it right away. It was then when she heard someone softly knocking at the door, and she knew who it was, and she couldn't be more glad to see him.

"Jesus.. not again… where is he?" the young man asked, his eyes full of concern, bringing his hand to her face to wipe the tears away.

"I'm alright, Glenn… it wasn't that bad this time… just, ya got it?" she asked him.

"Yes, here", he said, handing him a pack of birth control pills. She took two and and gave it back to him.

"I brought these plants too, just in case he asks. I'm going to be here first thing in the morning anyway… you been alright this weekend?" he put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her.

"Yes.. he's hardly been around. And it seems he dropped the idea of.. at least for now. I mean, after surgery and all… he barely.. you know.. he barely insists we do it… I can't take any risk anyway. But Glenn.. if he ever finds out.." she noticed her voice was trembling, and she didn't know why. Just a slap on her face wasn't really a big deal for her anymore.

"Carol, listen to me. He won't, alright? He won't find out. You know you're the only reason I don't quit, you know we'll find a way out of this. Just don't worry about me, he doesn't suspect a thing. He's a damn dumbass", he lifted her chin and smiled at her reassuringly, and she pulled him for a quick hug.

"Thank you.. Glenn, thank you so much", she told him as she let go of him.

"Nothing to thank me for. Just stay safe", he added, giving her one last look.


	3. Far from home

This 2014 is crazy and I haven't had the time to sit and write... but it finally happened!

thanks for your reviews and your encouragement. I know it might be a little confusing at first but it will start making sense as we move on.

Have a nice week and hopefully we'll see Carol next sunday (I believe we will)!

Hugs!

S.-

* * *

"Tha fuck gotcha so grumpy Darylina? Thought it was you who fuckin' suggested gettin' a couple 'f drinks", Merle asked him, amused, his left hand tangled in Andrea's blonde hair.

Daryl rolled his eyes. " jus' cuz she can drag yer ass whereva tha hell she wants don't mean she gotta drag mine too", he barked, although he couldn't hide the smirk spreading on his lips.

Ever since Merle and Andrea started to…frequent each other, because he didn't know how else to call it and his brother certainly didn't put any labels on their relationship, he'd had fun teasing him about it. It'd always been the other way around, which was exactly why he enjoyed it so much. He'd call him a henpecked just to watch him freak out, even when he liked Andrea, all things considered, and he had to give the woman some credit too. It wasn't every day his brother spent so much time with the same woman, hell, he couldn't recall that happening… not even once… and he had to admit the woman had changed him, in a good way though. He barely saw Merle lately because he spent most of the time in her house, not that he minded anyway, but it seemed he'd finally quit the drugs, most of them at least, and he'd stopped being the type of guy who was looking for trouble all the time. It was probably just a phase, because he simply couldn't imagine his brother settling down, but maybe the fact that Jack wasn't around anymore, and for good, he hoped, had released his brother too, made him realize he didn't necessarily have to be a complete asshole like their dad was.

"Come on Daryl.. just 20 miles from town, it isn't that far. I was just tired of seeing the same people whenever I go out… weren't you tired of little Green girl eye fucking you every single Friday? Plus, this place is just nicer" Andrea said, and Merle let out a loud laugh.

"Jesus, Andrea, kid ain't more than 17. Bet she don' even know the fuck tha word means", he answered, shaking his head in dissaproval. He couldn't recall how long the two had been dating for, but Andrea'd definitely turned into some sort of female version of Merle, and that was weird to say the least. It could also be pretty annoying.

"Tha way she stares atcha makes me think girl knows plenty 'bout it", Merle teased him, winking at Andrea.

"Shut up Merle. Both of ya. Thought ya guys came 'ere not ta talk 'bout tha same ol' shit".

Daryl leaned against his chair, deciding to quit listening to their uninteresting conversation, his eyes absently scanning the place. He didn't understand what it was that Andrea found nicer or even different about it. It was dark, crowded and it smelt like junk food and liquor just like any night bar. The people… yeah, nobody sounded famiiar to him, but they looked exactly the way people who went to those bars did, and he didn't have the slightest of interests in getting to know any of them. At least he didn't have to waste his time chitchatting with the regulars back home, like the Green sisters or that corean dude who dated the older one. He seemed nice enough now that he thought about it though. Merle of course wasn't too fond of him, probably just because the guy was asian. He hoped Andrea changed that too.

He lighted a cigarrete, his eyes fixed on the front door, the smoke merging into the crowd that went in and out the place, when someone caught his attention. It'd been her hair first. Not many women had their hair short, her silver locks unnoticeable in the distance but her eyes wide and as blue as he remembered them, and they sparkled, even in the distance, the same way he'd noticed they did that day.

"Shit!", he couldn't help but spat, Merle and Andrea instantly dropping the conversation and looking at him. He sunk on his seat, hoping she didn't approach them or anything. Hell, she probably wouldn't remember him to begin with.

"What is it Daryl?" Andrea asked him, following his eyes with her gaze.

"Nothin'. I jus'.. huh, I think I left tha damn door unlocked", he mumbled, dropping his gaze to the table.

Merle and Andrea looked at each other and then back at him.

"You sure you're alright? I was talking to you, seconds ago, was telling you we are leaving soon", Andrea spoke again. "We can check your door if you want".

Daryl tried to focus on her, although his eyes kept lifting to search for the woman. He finally shook his head.

"Ya leavin?" he did his best to try to sound dissapointed. "Alrite… go ahead, I ain't gonna leave jus' yet. Came this far, might as well jus' stay fer a while".

"Someone caught yer attention, lil' brotha?" Merle asked him. Jesus. He could never escape Merle.

"Hell no. Jus' go ahead, bet ya got better shit ta do", he said impatiently.

"Damn straight we do", Merle said as he stood up, pulling Andrea along with him. She waved at Daryl and he watched them, relieved, as they walked through the front door.

Daryl let out a breath he realized he'd been holding. For some reason it would have made him nervous having to explain them where he knew the woman from. He wasn't sure why, because it hadn't really been anything important, but ever since he gave her that ride, he found himself frequently thinking about her, wondering, as a matter of fact, if he'd ever run into her again.

He stayed on his seat for a few minutes, absently rubbing the glass with his fingers, thinking if she actually remembered him to begin with. He quickly glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, turning his head to openly stare at her once he saw her sitting by the bar, her back to him. He watched her say something to the bartender who smiled at her and handed her a glass of what looked like whiskey, from which she took a small sip. He wouldn't have taken her for a whiskey drinker, nor for the kind of woman who'd show up to a bar like this. Then again, he knew nothing about her, and he found himself chuckling at the realization of being judging her by her overall appearence when that was exactly what he criticized the most about people.

It hadn't been a premeditated decision, not really, but he suddenly found himself standing up and heading to the bar with the lame excuse of getting a drink quicker than he would have if he'd ordered it from his seat. He lighted a cigarrete in his way, his eyes fixed on her back, focusing on looking everywhere but in her direction once he reached the bar.

"Huh, whiskey shot please", he muttered to the bartender, a glass filled with whiskey instantly appearing in front of him.

He heard her clear her throat, and out of the corner of his eye he watched her turn her head to fully look at him. Her skin looked even paler in the darkness of the place, almost glowing, her blue eyes brighter now that they were so close. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, ready to turn around and just leave, when he heard her speak.

"Daryl?" she asked softly. So she remembered his name, apparently.

"Hey", was all he said, his face turning red the second he turned around to face her. He didn't know what to do with himself so he took the glass and drank all its content, his throat burning as the whiskey went down.

"You remember me? from the supermarket... some time ago? You helped me with my bags", she started to explain.

He chuckled.

"Yeah.. I remember ya, woulda ask ya how ya knew my name otherwise", he told her, his eyes lingering on her face for a while before he dropped them to the floor.

"Good point", she said, laughing a little. She pointed to her empty glass and looked at him. "Want another? I owe you, for helping me the other day".

Her offer took him by surprise so he just nodded, biting his thumb nail as he watched her gesture to the bartender for their drinks.

"So whatcha doin' ere anyway? didn' take ya fer a whiskey drinker", he asked her, in lack of a better question.

She frowned, her eyes narrowing in a way he thought was cute. "What you mean?" she asked him back, and he found himself frowning as well, confused by her question. Hell, this woman seemed to confuse him all the time.

"Nothin'.. I mean, was jus' askin' why ya came 'ere, it's kinda far from town and it ain't every day ya see a woman havin' whiskey on 'er own, 's all", he offered, feeling his face burning red again.

She gave him what he thought was a defiant smile, and tilted her head. "That is kind of sexist, you know? you're having whiskey on your own, so why can't I?".

"Fair 'nough", he mumbled, his mouth curling in a smirk. If he hadn't known himself better, he would have said he was flirting with the woman, a woman he barely knew but that somehow he felt drawned into, and that wasn't a common word in Daryl's vocabulary, which was why he recognized the feeling so clearly, even when he didn't know what to do with it.

"I don't have many friends", she said suddenly, and he lifted his head to look back at her.

"wha'?" he asked, partly because he hadn't heard her well, with the loud music and the people talking and all.

"Part of the answer to your question. I'm here sitting on my own because I don't have many friends", she said simply.

"Can't hear shit wit' tha loud music an' all.. I was sittin' back there 'fore.. I, huh.. ya could come sit there if ya want". He stumbled over his words, and he was pretty sure his face was fiercely red again, but when he found the courage to look at her she was giving him that soft smile, her eyes locked with his and an intoxicating blue.

"Sure", she said, and she stood up to follow him.

On his short way to the table, Daryl tried to figure out what the hell he was doing. It might have been the whiskey because he had the feeling he couldn't think straight. All he knew was he usually didn't give a shit about anyone, and now there he was asking a woman he barely knew to join hm on the table. Maybe he simply felt attracted to her, could that be it?

"So you're a regular here?" she asked him once they sat down, and he thought her eyes were mirroring the same doubts he was dealing with himself, although he couldn't be sure, the expression in those eyes changing every second, making him wonder what she was thinking all the time. Maybe she was questioning herself for sitting with him too. She definitely didn't look like a woman who'd want his company.

"Naw.. not really. Too damn far away... there's plenty 'f places exactly like this one an' closer ta home", he answered.

"Maybe that´s what people want sometimes, going far away", she said, her voice low.

"From what?" he asked, leaning slightly over the table.

"I don't know, I'm just saying", she said then, taking a sip from her beer and waving her hand on the air, a little laugh escaping her lips.

"Yeah, maybe", he agreed. Hell he knew about wanting to be as far as he could from home. It just luckily hadn't been like that for a while now for him.

"Speaking of which, I should probably get going", she said, checking the hour on a delicate watch on her right wrist. "yes, I gotta go", she repeated, sounding suddenly a little concerned.

"Why? Thought ya jus' got 'ere" he asked her, and he couldn't help but feeling a little annoyed. It had been interesting at first, all that mistery going on about her. Now it was starting to get on his nerves.

"I just have to", she said simply. "I'd rather stay, though, just so you know", she added, locking her eyes with his.

"ya sayin' ya got somewhere else ta be at 1 in the morning? Ain't buyin' it", he insisted. And as he watched her lift her brows, he couldn't believe he was acting like this. She was probably leaving because he'd scared the shit out of her with all his questions.

"I didn't say I had anywhere to be. I just said I had to leave", she answered, and he hated how she managed to avoid his questions, yet pretend she was actually answering him. He thought about telling her to fuck herself, but he instantly suppressed it. He still didn't know why, but he sensed he had to follow her lead.

"Well I know ya got no reason ta trust me, but I can drive ya home if ya want.. or whereva ya goin'. Got nothin' better ta do anyway". He decided that was the last thing he was going to say to her, ever. Whether she accepted the offer or not.

She stood up slowly and walked to him, an hesitant hand landing on his shoulder. He flinched at first, unused to the sudden touch, but didn't push her hand away.

"Believe me, it isn't you I don't trust", her eyes lingered on his face for a few seconds, and then she dropped her hand from his shoulder. "I come here every two Fridays or so... whenever I can. I might be here next Friday", she said quickly before turning around and walking to the bar's door.


	4. Gust

This took me too long, way too long, like everything lately, but finally I got it!  
I had to Split it up in two because it was kind of long, so the next one should come out pretty son, no longer than sunday!  
hope you like this so far, and thanks for R&R!

Hugs!

S.-

* * *

Daryl woke up to the sound of the rain hitting the roof, and cursed loudly. He knew that meant he didn't have to go to work, but oddly enough, that was exactly what he didn't like about it. What else was he going to do anyway? It wasn't like he could go hunting with a storm like that, and he didn't even have a TV in his one room apartment. Not that he was a TV fan anyway.

It wouldn't have bothered him that much if it had been a different it was Friday again and he'd been thinking the whole night about going to that distant bar or just forgetting about it. He wasn't even sure if she'd actually meant to invite him or if she'd just said it to keep him from asking her any more questions. It's not that she'd insisted he should go and he wasn't good at figuring out those kind of things in general, nor a single thing coming from that woman in particular. Recalling her exact words, she hadn't even assured him she was going to be there. Well, at least if he did indeed show up and she never did, he could still have a few beers while he felt like an idiot with no one's eyes stuck on him. That place was too far away for anybody in town to be there, and he sensed that was one of the reasons why she frequented it.

What if she did show up though? Did she want the company, someone to chat with while she hid from who knows what? Did she feel attracted to him, somehow? Some women did, after all… He'd be lying if he said he never noticed it. Might be his rough appearence, his last name maybe, or the fact that some of them seemed to like the rough type, because there was no other way of explaining why Merle had so many of them around him all the time, for instance. And even when he never looked for it, like Merle always did, sometimes he'd take it when the opportunity showed up. More than once he'd found himself going for it just to shut Merle's mouth, so that he quitted calling him a pussy whenever a woman threw herself at him and he just ignored her. Other times he'd just been so drunk it'd happened out of an instinctive reaction of his body, but most of the time it simply wasn't in his list of priorities, didn't even cross his mind at all, just one other thing that made him so different from the average 34 year old guy. Him being so different might have actually been the reason she caught his attention to begin with. He knew Merle wouldn't even bother to give that woman a second look, and not because she wasn't pretty, because she actually was, once you fully looked at her, but her corporal language and the way she dressed… it made him think of an intention of remaining unnoticed. The thing was… he was a tracker so his eyes were trained to find things where other people thought there was nothing to be seen. And he was a good one too. That was how he could tell there was something going on with that woman. What he didn't know, though, was why he cared about it.

He stretched and got up. He wasn't going to spend all day locked in there. He decided to pass by the office, check where they'd be working on Monday, maybe visit Andrea too and invite himself for lunch at her… their... place. They'd have never met if it hadn't beenfor him and Andrea working in the same place, and Merle wouldn't have gotten a job there either. So they kind of owed him, and he didn't feel like cooking. Not that he had anything to cook anyway. He realized then he should probably go to that store, buy himself some food, his mind instantly going to Carol and the day he saw her there. Damnit. He could go to that bar, have a few drinks, reveal whatever mistery kept him thinking so much about it all. That was going to be it.

* * *

"I was so glad to hear it Carol, I just had to come visit you", Glenn said, clearly excited, standing up to get the two mugs of coffee she'd just made and bringing them to the table.

Carol looked at him and chuckled. She was as happy as he was about Ed's three days trip. Deep inside though she felt it was actually depressing how her happyness has been reduced to him leaving her alone for three days. She shook her head, deciding not to overthink it. This little trips had became more frequent lately and all she could do was hope they kept coming and enjoy them while they lasted. It was good news, all things considered, and the worst thing she could do was spending those three days crying and feeling sorry for herself and her miserable life, like she already did every other day.

Glenn might have read her mind because he leaned forward, placing his hand over hers.

"I know, alright? But at least it's something", he said, watching her carefully, and she just waved her hand and smiled at him again.

"No, come on!" she said cheerfully. "He's gone for three days, we won't sit here and talk about him, that's not happening. Let's talk about random things, nice things, let's talk about that girl of yours", she added, winking at him.

Glenn snickered and looked down, unable to hide his huge smirk. "Well…we see each other… like... pretty much every day..". He lifted his eyes and looked at her, the smirk still plastered on his face. "I mean, can you believe it, Carol? Maggie Green?"

Carol let out a loud laugh, just the sound of her own laughter filling the air comforting and warming her.

"Well, I don't actually know her.. she does sound like a nice girl though. All I know is, it's just contagious, seeing you like this", she told him, smiling along with him.

"No, I mean.. Carol.. you don't understand! She's gorgeous… and smart, and she's nice and she's got spark and I.. I deliver pizza and work on a couple of gardens, you know?!" He didn't sound worried actually, just simply thrilled.

"So? You're a wonderful guy, Glenn, you don't deserve less", she told him simply.

"Of course I do! Not that I'm complaining though!" Glenn told her, both their laughters coming out again.

"You know.. I.." she started saying. She realized that for some reason she was going to tell him about that guy, Daryl, but she quickly changed her mind. There was really nothing to say about it, but she'd been thinking about the man so much she'd felt for a second the need to mention it.

"What?" he heard Glenn ask. She'd actually forgotten she'd started to say something and he was probably expecting her to finish it.

"I'm going out tonight", she stated, figuring she'd never told Glenn about her little sneak outs after all, and she knew that even when he did like gossiping, which was pretty funny for a guy, he'd never say a word when it came to her and Ed.

"Really? Carol, that's awesome! Where are you going to? And who with? I mean.. cause you shouldn't go alone, you know? probably not to the local places either… everyone in there knows Ed..". Carol chuckled, appreciating his concern, but she thought he should know better by now.

"It's actually not the first time I do it", she told him, blushing for some reason. "I found a bar, some miles down the highway to Atlanta.. it isn't that bad, and it isn't easy to get there, so there is no way to run into anyone who knows me, or him…" she said in a low voice.

Glenn looked at her and smirk. "And you never told me about it?! So you just go there.. on your own? Met anyone interesting in there?"

She stood in silence for a second, and quickly shook her head.

"Of course not, Glenn! That's not what I go there for... and yes, I go on my own... it's still good though, feeling I actually get to do things normal people do, even if it's just for the night". Her voice saddened but she quickly dismissed all the sad thoughts, which tended to emerge whenever she was alone, just because she was too busy being scared to feel sad about it all when Ed was around.

And it was true. She didn't think about meeting someone, neither was that a reason why she went out. Yes, she fantazied about it, but that was as far as she went. She knew there was no way she could drag anyone into her life, put them in danger. She knew it just couldn't be worth it. _She _just couldn't be worth it. Not anymore. She was uninteresting, she didn't do anything other than being married to an asshole, and she wasn't half as pretty as she used to be. Glenn kept telling her otherwise… he actually kept saying it could be some sort of solution, or salvation… but she just didn't agree. She didn't want anyone to save her, not when she couldn't do it herself. She had to admit, though, she did hope to see that man tonight. She doubted he was going to show up though. It's not that she'd explicitly asked him to do it, but even if he did, she didn't have any further expectations than just maybe sitting with him for a while. Just a simple distraction. A very nice looking one too.

"Carol?!" Once again she'd been so lost thinking she hadn't heard Glenn.

"I'm sorry", she said, chuckling. "just got lost thinking", she added, standing up to put the mugs on the sink.

"'bout your little night out?" he asked her, smirking.

She turned around and rolled her eyes. "Glenn! Don't make me regret telling you!"

And they both laughed. It was a good day so far.


	5. Trust your gut

Finally I got this one out! it's been half written for a while :)

I hope you like it and you don't find the pace of this story right... thanks for R&R and may I just add I feel the Caryl encounter in TWD is coming soon!

hugs! have a nice week.

S.-

* * *

Andrea lifted her eyes the second she heard someone get inside her office, taking her reading glasses off when she saw Daryl, a little smile playing on her face.

"Trying to win the best employee of the year award?" she asked him, chuckling. It wasn't the first time he showed up on a rainy day, and she thought it was kind of cute. It reminded her of those little kids who got all moody when it rained because they couldn't go out and play or something.

Daryl shrugged, glancing around before he took a seat in front of her.

"Got nothin' better ta do, figured ya migh' be needin' some help over 'ere… where's Merle?" he asked, just to engage some sort of conversation because he suspected he already knew the answer.

"Are you kidding me?" Andrea asked him, leaving her pen aside. "He's sleeping, of course…"

Daryl chuckled. "Yea, figured".

They stood in silence for a few minutes while Andrea wrote what looked like some numbers on a spreadsheet and Daryl smoked, absently looking by the window. He'd been working there for a few years now, probably around 3 or 4, and he'd always liked it, mostly because they'd always treated him right there. It was a construction company that was first owned by Henry, Andrea's dad, who'd passed away 1 year ago and Daryl had felt really sorry for that. He was a good man, one of the best men he ever knew, those kind of men he'd always wished his own father had been like. He'd died abruptly and unexpectedly, leaving the company with no one to run it, and Andrea, who hadn't been an arquitect just yet, had had to take charge. She'd managed to do it just fine, actually, even when she'd been depressed and still graving her father, and soon enough she graduated, her pain turning into the obsession to do things exactly the way her father would have wanted her to do them. Daryl knew her old man would be proud of her and of the way she handled everything, even when he'd probably never tell that to her.

Andrea wasn't the typical arquitect either. There was no way she'd be seeing a guy like Merle if she was. She had a sophisticated, professional side but she was fun and she enjoyed spending time with the whole bunch of guys who worked with her just like if she'd been one of them. Maybe she just didn't have any other option, but she seemed to be more than alright with it. And she seemed to really like his brother too, even when Daryl would never understand what was it that she saw in him.

"So, what are you up to tonight?" she asked him, leaving her work aside for a while.

Daryl shrugged again, and cleared his throat to try to sound convincing.

"Nothin' special.. jus' stayin' home. Don' feel like doin' anythin' with tha damn weather like this".

Andrea looked outside and nodded. "Yeah, I hear ya… shitty day. Well, you can always come with us", she said.

"Where ya guys goin?" he silently prayed she didn't tell him they were going to the same bar, even when he highly doubted it.

Andrea snickered and handed him what looked like two tickets of something. He took them and then looked back at her, frowning in desbelief.

"Ya takin' Merle to tha fuckin' movies?" he let out a laugh. "Jesus, ya gotta be kiddin' me".

Andrea laughed along with him. "Turns out your brother is pretty easy to convince. I just promised him great sex afterwards and that was it". She watched Daryl's expression and laughed again.

"Jesus, ain't need ta know tha'", Daryl mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"We can always make it a double date, you know? I can call a friend for you right away". She risked lifting her eyes and looking at him, even when she already knew the answer and the expression he would be making.

"Hell no. Rather stay home lookin' at tha fuckin' ceilin'. Won't say no ta lunch though"

* * *

Carol walked inside the bar, noticing it was less crowded than the other day, probably because of the rain. She'd figured 11 pm was a good time to get there: not too early, not too late as for him having left already, but it seemed like he wasn't there, at least not yet. She took a seat at one of the tables in the corner of the room, and ordered a beer when the waitress approached her. It didn't matter if he never came. She was ok on her own anyway. She still felt anxious though and she couldn't help lifting her eyes and glancing at the door every ten seconds, a mixture of frustration and relieve taking her over as time passed by and she didn't spot him.

She'd gone through all her clothes trying to find something that looked more or less decent, even when that word could hardly be used to describe her outfits. It's not that she didn't like nice clothes that fit her well; it's just that she'd stopped using them so that Ed wouldn't complain, call her a whore, and a long list of etceteras. She'd found, however, a black tank top that wasn't too bad, just a little too worn, and a pair of simple blue jeans. The purple jacket wasn't much to look at, but she had to put it on since it was rainy and all. She owned no make-up, not that she was a big fan of it anyway, but she'd smiled when she'd looked at herself in the mirror, thinking it'd been a while her reflection showed no bruises, no black eye, no baggy clothes that barely held onto her body.

Just when she was starting her second beer, she saw him get in. And she had to swallow hard at the sight of him, wet locks of hair falling all over his forehead, which he wiped off with his hand as his eyes scanned the place. They finally locked with hers and he nodded shyly to her and started walking towards her right away. Judging by the two other times she'd seen him, it looked like he'd also dressed up a bit, with that pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt that looked nothing like the working clothes she'd seen him with before. It made her feel more confident, all of a sudden, and she couldn't help but smile. She knew this was nothing, and it probably meant nothing either, but the whole situation just felt nice. A little weird, but nice anyway.

She took a sip of her beer and looked up at him.

"So I take it you liked this place", she told him, her smile fading a little as she felt herself grow nervous over having him so close.

She saw him shrug, his feet shifting umcomfortably as he just stood there.

"'s' alrite.. just as good as any", he said, looking at the only chair next to her and glancing quickly at her before sitting down.

"Well, I'm glad you came", she commented, in lack of other thing to say.

He ordered a beer and they sat in silence for a couple of minutes, the time it took him to drink it all. She thought for such a good looking guy he was pretty shy and awkward, and it seemed he just wasn't used to sitting with someone and having a conversation. Maybe that could annoy most people, but it strangely made her feel more comfortable, more at ease than if she had been sitting with a charming, outgoing guy.

"So why is it that ya always come 'ere anyway? Ya don' live nearby do ya?" he finally spoke.

She smiled and took a sip of her beer, trying to avoid his eyes and to make her voice sound as casual as possible. "No specific reason, really. I just.. I don't know, I like it here".

He glanced around, his eyes fixing on hers again, and he brought his thumb to his mouth, tilting his head as he openly chewed on his nail, the action making his eyes lift up in a way she found cute.

"Sounds pretty standard ta me. ' least there ain't tha usual people ya see every damn day in Senoia, I'll give ya that", he said, dropping his hand to the table.

"Is that a good thing?" she asked him, relieved to change the subject for a while.

"It is ta me", he said simply, raising his arm up and motioning for the waitress to bring him another beer.

She saw him stare at her wrist and she frowned, looking at it herself. Next to the watch Ed had once given to her was a faded bruise she'd gotten two or three weeks ago, when he'd dragged her down the stairs. It was barely there, but it was undoubdtely it he was looking at. She blushed and he must have noticed it, because he dropped his gaze. He didn't say anything though and she hurried to say something.

"What's wrong with the people in Senoia?" she asked quickly.

"What happened to yer wrist?" he asked her back.

"Nothing. I… I fell, down the stairs", she answered sharply. She definitely hadn't gone there to be reminded of her awful life back home, and for the first time in the night, she thought about leaving.

"Ain't nothin' wrong wit' em, other than 'em thinkin' there's somethin' wrong wit' me", he said instead.

She forgot about how annoyed she'd been just a second ago, and dared looking at him again. "Why would they think that?" she asked curiously.

He chuckled and leaned further against his chair, handing her his bottle of beer. "Hell I dunno. My last name most likely.. prob'ly how I look too.. not tha' I give a fuck 'bout it though.. 's jus' pretty fuckin' funny havin' everyone's damn eyes on me, waitin' fer the moment I crush a bottle against someone's head or somethin'". He let out a small laugh, the first she'd heard coming from him.

Carol's eyes went wide, not precisely amused by what he'd just told her. She thought he didn't look like one of those guys who were just trouble wherever they went, even when he did look a little rough around the edges. And she trusted her gut, her first impressions about people. If she'd only trusted it a few years ago...

"You don't… I don't think you're like that", she found herself saying it aloud.

His half smile took her by surprise, and the way he quickly tried to hide it. She found herself smiling back at him, all different kind of thoughts she couldn't tell were completely wrong or the rightest ones she'd ever had, coming to her mind. And she felt it didn't matter anymore asking herself what a gorgeous man like him was doing sitting right there in front of her… it didn't matter what he could possibly find interesting about her. After all, she knew how distorted her opinion about herself had gotten to be. And it didn't matter, because it just seemed to be the way it was. So maybe she should trust her instincts this time, even when it scared her where that could lead.


End file.
